St. Charles man charged in burglary spree

A St. Charles man has been charged in connection with a recent burglary spree on the city's northeast side, police said Monday.

Gregory A. Behrendt, 53, of the 1200 block of Winners Cup Circle, was arrested during a surveillance operation early Saturday on the 500 block of Steeplechase Road, police said.

Officers reported seeing Behrendt park and walk toward a house while putting on a pair of gloves. Search warrants later led them to most of the property reported stolen over the last two months in the areas of Persimmon Woods and the west end of the Fox Chase subdivision, authorities said.

According to police, Behrendt would ring doorbells late at night to determine whether anyone was home and then return to burglarize unoccupied houses. He matched the description of a man seen using credit cards that had been reported stolen from the area to make purchases in Kane and DuPage counties, police said.

Kane County Judge Allen Anderson set bond Sunday at $350,000 for Behrendt, who is charged with residential burglary and possession of burglary tools. The most serious offense is a Class 1 felony punishable by probation or four to 15 years in prison.

According to court records, Behrendt has no prior criminal history in Kane County other than a traffic offense in 1991. His next court date is Friday.